Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Monday publicly backed his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, to succeed him as governor in the 2027 election, describing the endorsement as a consensus decision by stakeholders in the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Hamzat declared his intention to contest for the governorship during a closed-door meeting at Lagos House in Marina attended by members of the state executive council, party leaders, and the governor’s advisory council.
Former Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro and former Senator Ganiyu Solomon were among those present.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Sanwo-Olu said his deputy had the experience and competence required to lead the state.
“We just received Mr Deputy, who had come with a very powerful delegation of our leaders in the state to inform us of his intention to contest for the seat of the governorship position of the state,” the governor said.
“It was unanimous with all of us to say that Mr Deputy Governor is a man who is fit and well-prepared for this job. He is a man who knows where all the rooms in the house are.”
Sanwo-Olu pointed to Hamzat’s record in office and their seven-year working relationship as grounds for his support, calling him loyal, committed, and ready for leadership.
“This is a deputy governor that is worth a governor from day one; this is a man that has been built for this job, and we believe that he deserves to be given a chance to go and run this state,” he said.
The governor also credited President Bola Tinubu for the political alignment.
“We thank our father, our leader, Mr President, who saw the vision… that long run is what is already being manifested here today,” he noted.
Hamzat, a former commissioner for works and infrastructure who has served two terms as deputy governor, is widely regarded as a significant figure in Lagos politics but has not yet launched a formal campaign. The endorsement arrives more than a year ahead of the expected APC primaries, indicating an early effort to shape the succession process in Nigeria’s commercial centre.
The governorship of Lagos remains one of the APC’s most strategically important positions, and the development is likely to influence internal party calculations over the coming months.
